Looks like people were really craving some zombie action. The midseason premiere of AMC’s The Walking Dead drew in huge viewership on Sunday despite airing at the same time as the Grammy Awards and Downton Abbey.

Sunday’s episode (read our recap here) brought in 12.3 million. Collider writes, “The episode also proved strong in the coveted 18-49 demo, garnering 7.7 million viewers with the key demographic. In fact, the series average for the 18-49 demo is higher than those of network hits like Modern Family, NCIS, and even The Big Bang Theory.”

It’s impressive to see the show continue to grow but especially noteworthy when you realize it aired against a very popular award show. The Grammys had 28 million viewers Sunday night. And you might not think Downton Abbey and The Walking Dead would have crossover appeal but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s larger than we all think. TWD Executive Producer Gale Anne Hurdis a fan of both and thinks they have a few things in common.

Meanwhile, the record-breaking episode is on AMC.com for free viewing. AMC writes, “This is a one-time-only event and will not be happening with future episodes for the rest of this season.”